


Burned Blood; Crimson Malison

by Dragon_of_Nightmares (Dragon_of_Dreams)



Series: Hyrulean Heart; Golden Beholden [1]
Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: "Blood Moon" Issues, Additional Warnings Apply, Also known as "shark week", Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Curses, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Gender Identity, Gender Issues, Hyrule (Linked Universe)-centric, Illnesses, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Poor boy doesn't know, There will be hard topics in this fic, This fic is "cursed", Title has an easter egg, Trans Character, What's a Gender?, You're all welcome to yell at me, he doesn't know though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:01:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26999344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragon_of_Dreams/pseuds/Dragon_of_Nightmares
Summary: A certain curse has been awakened within Hyrule after months of slumber and the Links hope someone could break it. But when a certain commotion in town leads to Hyrule being cursed much worse by a vengeful wizard, with random bursts of illness and mood swings, the Links fear for Hyrule's life as they track down the wizard to try to heal him and prevent the curse from falling on another victim ever again.Only Twilight knows that it is so much more.
Relationships: Four & Hyrule & Legend & Sky & Time & Twilight & Warriors & Wild & Wind (Linked Universe), Hyrule & Legend (Linked Universe), Hyrule & Twilight (Linked Universe)
Series: Hyrulean Heart; Golden Beholden [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1970530
Comments: 8
Kudos: 47





	1. Blood Moon

**Author's Note:**

> I have a warning to make: This fic will be not for everyone. I am not kidding when I said that this fic will handle hard topics, which will be eventually revealed the farther the fic goes along. I will admit that starting this fic was very difficult for me because I didn't know whether to draw the line on it being "too much" for the LU fandom. But with the encouragement of a few people (you know who you are), I am confident enough to release the first chapter of the cursed fic. Feedback will be especially appreciated for this fic because I will need to know whether I cross the line at certain points (such chapters will be marked). Thank you for understanding.
> 
> Without further ado, here's the chapter.

It was coming. Dark brown eyes rolled up to the sky, watching as the full moon pierced through the night with its brilliant light. It cast down at the fading smoke of the burnt campfire, embers long gone into the air.

Still, everyone remained awake. Whispers of the shadows had long reached their ears—rumors of monsters roaming nearby waiting to attack. The thought made Hyrule ill to his stomach, arm wrapped around his torso to comfort himself from the terrors lingering upon his mind.

_“Blood!”_

His eyes darted towards the edge of his vision. A shadow whisked through the camp, trailing off into the familiar form of Wind grabbing his weapons from Four’s makeshift armory. The short smith nodded to him, readying himself with his own before they parted ways, diverging into groups.

They were getting ready. Hyrule frowned, gripping the strap that held his sword and shield together beside him tightly. The pains worsened with worry, knowing deep in his mind that monsters lingered nearby chanting—chanting for his blood.

_“Blood!”_

A rustle. His head whipped to face the bushes, holding his breath as another shadow stepped into the premises. Into the moonlight, Legend revealed himself as he approached the traveler, greeting with a long breath escaping his mouth.

“You getting ready, ‘Rule?” Legend whispered.

“Found them?” Hyrule rose to his feet, strapping his sword and shield to his back. “Are they here?”

“Wild found a monster camp nearby. The old man says we’re going.”

Hyrule’s frown deepened. His eyes flickered towards the old man across the camp, whose arms crossed as he towered over the captain. Wind and Twilight joined beside them, listening to the whispers of command too low and far for Hyrule’s ears. The old man’s one-eyed glance then found its way to the traveler hero.

A nod. It was the confirmation Hyrule needed.

He snapped back as Legend called for him, beckoning as he faded into the darkness again. With an affirming nod Hyrule followed, pushing himself through the bushes to join Legend and rushed off to the monster campsite.

Wild awaited behind a wall of foliage, crouching on one knee with bow in hand. He greeted with a finger on his lips, smirking before he pointed through a gap. A gasp escaped the traveler’s mouth as he met a large tree rooted in the middle of a clearing, its branches scraping up the sky. Wooden platforms rimmed around the tree, sheltering monsters up high including Moblins—those of Hyrule’s era, he noted with a pang. They stood guard, bows at the ready as they watched for passerby.

No way to climb up, Hyrule realized. It was either dropping down from above or jumping up high from the ground.

“We going for a straight-up ambush huh?” Legend asked, his tornado rod now in hand. “Let’s give them a little welcomed surprise.”

“I’ll cover you up,” Wild said, readying an arrow tipped with thunder magic. “I’ll paralyze them. You go get them while they’re down.”

Hyrule smirked. “We’ll take them out in no time. Right, Legend?”

Legend smirked back. “Of course.”

Wild shot his arrow at a metallic crate between the monsters, causing a wave of magical explosion. At the screams Hyrule and Legend rushed toward the monster base, preparing for jump and flight respectively and aimed their way into the platform. At their landing the two heroes unsheathed their weapons, ready to strike.

Hyrule stabbed through an immobilized Moblin, knocking it down to the ground. He dashed to his next foe: a spear-wielding Moblin clutching its weapon close, shielding itself from the hero’s stabs and swings. It twisted the sword out of reach and struck the hero's shield, knocking Hyrule back. He growled. The platform left him no room to circle around the Moblin. Not without the risk of falling.

He had no choice but to jump back.

Hyrule held his shield high and hopped out of the spear’s reach, watching behind him as Legend struck another Moblin down. _Having an easier time, huh?_ He faced his foe again. Red eyes glared at him.

_“Blood!”_

Another thrust. Hyrule jumped over the spear and thrusted back, stabbing through the skull. The blood-curling roar pierced through his ears as the Moblin crashed on its back. Dark liquid leaked from the now-deformed face split open by the silver blade. A shivering breath escaped from the traveler, who pulled his sword out from the monster’s corpse.

The relief was short-lived.

All air was knocked out of his chest. Hyrule crashed to the floor, wheezing as he then tried to lift himself back to his feet, arms quivering. He snapped towards his attacker—another Moblin, club lifted to the sky.

Hyrule braced himself.

The Moblin then screamed. Eyes darted to the arrow that struck the monster’s side. _Perfect._ Hyrule reached out and swung—

He flinched. Another arrow flicked to the tree. _Wild!_ Hyrule clenched his jaw and swung again, slicing through the Moblin’s torso and spilled its blood. Another one down.

The Hero of Hyrule breathed heavily. Shield up in his arm, he scanned all around the area. Nothing but the wooden platform remained in his presence, with the weapons left behind as the monsters dusted out of existence. Hyrule took another deep breath as only the silence of the breeze reached his ears, with the slow familiar steps of boots approaching him. He turned to Legend, meeting the relieved smile dawned on the veteran’s face.

Hyrule smiled back. It was over.

His expression then twisted. His arm wrapped around his torso as the pain flared, burning up but never quite reaching his throat. His body seemed to scream.

_“Blood!”_

“Hyrule!” Legend rushed to his side, catching him before he collapsed to his knees. “You doing okay?”

The stabs coursed through his back. “I’m fine,” he breathed. “Nothing a potion can’t fix.”

“You got hurt, didn’t you.”

Hyrule didn’t answer. Instead he glanced past the veteran, watching for another ambush. “Are there any more?”

“I don’t think so. Think Wild took care of the rest.”

A glance at the champion confirmed the veteran’s words. Wild stood in the open, a strong red light shining bright on him. He waved at the two heroes before rushing to the tree base, bringing the light to his hand.

Then a strong updraft swept by. Wild flung himself into the air and crashed into the platform. “You okay?” the champion asked, eyes widening. He rushed to Hyrule’s side. “Oh Hylia I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to hit you!”

“What do you—” Hyrule looked down. Wild’s fire rod illuminated the large dark stain on his pants, with streaks and splashes running down his legs. “I-I think that came from the Moblins,” he said, ignoring Legend’s sigh right by his ear. Hyrule lifted his clothing to reveal his torso, no cuts marking him that could have come from the arrow. “I think I’m fine. Nothing I can’t handle.”

He frowned. The pangs in his stomach hadn’t left him, only intensified by the calmness returning in his blood. _Something’s not right._ A glance at the sky showed the moon still a brilliant white, unstained from the reds and blacks of monster malice.

_“Blood!”_

“We have to check if there’s more,” Hyrule whispered. “See if others have found more monster camps.”

* * *

The pang in his gut proved Hyrule right the moment the trio returned to camp. A newly-lit flame brought light to the worried heroes within the clearing, whose faces then relaxed into relief. They welcomed the trio back, with Wild and Legend joining in the campfire while Hyrule kept himself in the darkness, observing his surroundings. Eyes stopped at Wind and Warriors sitting down together, tunics and armor off exposing the bruises and cuts from recent battle.

“Ran into monsters too?” Legend asked. “Thought you’d be better at keeping your skin clean, pretty boy.”

“Someone decided to get injured and we had to barge in,” Warriors replied, jabbing his thumb behind him. “Not our fault we had to get ourselves dirty.”

Hiding in the shadows was the rancher. Twilight sat low on the ground, grasping his arm as he leaned against a tree. The moonlit blue eyes made contact with the traveler with a solemn glance.

“I’ll join Twilight,” Hyrule said to the group. “Need to check his wound.”

He approached the injured hero. His fingers twitched under him, preparing his magic as he crouched beside his companion. “You okay, Twilight?”

“I’m alright, got hit on my arm,” he replied, then his face wrinkled. “What about you? I smell blood on you.”

“It’s Moblin blood,” Hyrule replied. “Need to clean after but I’m fine, I swear—”

“It’s _Hylian_ blood, ‘Rule. Don’t ask me how I know but that isn’t monster blood.”

Hyrule paused. His eyes fell on the dark stains and the pangs that followed it. How could he explain it? The nauseous feeling returned to his being. He wished he could look away, tell the rancher that he was mistaken and that everything was okay. But he wasn’t. Twilight’s eyes burned through him.

“Are you hurt?”

Hyrule wished his body didn’t scream.

“No… On my back but not enough to bleed. Just hurt.” A frown. “I… I’ve been cursed,” he whispered, keeping his head low from Twilight’s glance. “Part of Ganon’s curse. After I killed Ganon monsters wanted my blood. I… I don’t think it was by chance my body started bleeding after that. My healing spell doesn’t do anything either.”

Twilight remained silent. Without any further words Hyrule took Twilight’s injured arm and began to work his magic. A pink glow emanated on his hand as he hovered it over the wound. The rancher’s arm was strong, shaped by muscle that had once made Wind both jealous and awed by his strength. To be able to lift without a power bracelet or power glove? Hyrule wished he could do that too.

“When was the last time?”

Hyrule looked up, furrowing his eyebrows. “This bleeding? Right before I met you all.”

Pursing his lips, Twilight continued watching—staring at his arm as it healed by Hyrule’s hand. “If it’s Ganon’s curse as you said, we need to find someone who can break it. Fast. But if it isn’t…” He paused, taking a long glance at the traveler that made him squirm under those eyes. “Never mind.”

A glance reached Twilight’s eyes. The traveler kept frowning but no words could escape his mouth, even as the questioning thoughts swirled in his mind. He shrugged it off, pulling out a roll of gauze.

“Hyrule, I’m fine. I don’t need it.”

“I know. It’s for my bleeding,” Hyrule replied. “I don’t need anyone else to know. Not the others.” A shivering breath. “Not the monsters. I’ll be back.”

* * *

The rest of the night had been as silent as the breeze whispering in the traveler’s ears. The others confirmed no more sightings of monster camps in their surroundings, yet under the covers of his own bedroll Hyrule still searched for the Eyes of Ganon—perhaps lurking within the shadows of the leaves right above them, waiting to strike as soon as dark brown eyes turned shut.

The moon still held its pure white light, striking bright from the sky even as black clouds and the trees threatened to conceal it from Hyrule’s line of sight. No dust of malice dispersed around him, waiting to rise and cover the moon in blood. No… It was as pure as a night could get.

Then why did he still feel ill? His stomach churned with sickening familiarity, the nausea he’d been forced to accept long before meeting his brothers wringing his gut. Starvation made him sick, refeeding left him ill, and now this…? But one thing for certain it wasn’t food poisoning. Not with this bleeding.

And… he could feel it running down his leg. Hyrule lifted himself from the bedroll, carefully scanning for any drips of blood that may have leaked from his person. He could feel eyes burning on his back as he searched through the blanket, slowing him to a pause.

“You alright, Hyrule?”

He glanced over to meet the captain’s eyes. “Yeah,” he replied. “Need to go. I’ll be back.”

Without another word Hyrule rushed out of sight, bringing his lantern with him and attached it to his belt. The lit flame brightened his path to the bushes a little ways from camp, far enough from prying eyes.

His bladder wanted to burst at any second. He did his usual business, and he noted the red rushing out of his leg instead of yellow. He bit his tongue. Another sign of this darn curse...

He replaced the gauze strip under him with a clean one and buried both the old one and the leaked blood under the dirt, praying that the monsters wouldn’t smell it from miles away.

He wondered how long it would last. Would he have to be careful about this for the rest of his life? He couldn’t imagine….

* * *

It remained like this for the next few days: Checking. Re-checking. Making sure his new pair of pants didn’t stain with blood that appeared out of nowhere. Hyrule hung by Twilight’s side as the group traveled on the road once again in the bright afternoon, excusing himself to check his companion’s arm despite knowing it should have been completely healed. The churning in his stomach didn’t quite leave him.

He didn’t miss Legend’s occasional glance aimed at him, filled with furrowed eyebrows and frowned lips. Hyrule could only smile back.

“Are you sure this is the right way, Twilight?” Legend asked after a moment of strained silence, rolling his eyes. “There’s no sight of people anywhere, let alone a town!”

Twilight shrugged, but a glimmer formed in his eyes as he faced the woods. “I’m sure, look.” He pointed a finger at it. “There’s a house.”

A beaten path exposed from the forest floor guided way to the wooden walls of said house, far from the main road at the depths of the woods. “Think someone lives there?” Hyrule asked. “Maybe we’ll get shelter!” He rushed his way through the path despite the others calling his name.

The light of a flame greeted him through the windows. His eyes reflected in hope as Hyrule opened the door—

Only to be greeted by a knife to his neck.

Freezing at the touch of the frigid blade against his skin, Hyrule tried to glimpse at his assailant—only a black hood concealed the face but pursed lips flashed through it. Spoken words rushed out of them:

“Are you one of his followers? Who are you?!”

Behind Hyrule, the tell-tale scrape of his brothers drawing their weapons echoed through. His attacker tensed and yanked Hyrule around to face his brothers, knife pressed on him.

“Put your weapons down or I’ll kill him!”

“How ‘bout you give Hyrule back or we’ll kill you,” Legend snarled.

“Hyrule?” The knife pricked at his skin, letting a stream of blood flow down his neck. “What kind of name is this? You aren’t working to usurp the Royal Family, are you? Traitors…”

A growl rumbled under the attacker’s throat. “What did I say? You all! Weapons down, _now,_ before I cut off the neck of your precious ally!”

Hyrule swallowed, the movement driving the knife deeper into his throat. He forced himself to breathe through the sharp pricking on his skin and panic swelling in his chest.

“My-my name’s Link, actually,” he stammered out. He held his gaze as his brothers cautiously lowered their weapons at his words before continuing, “Hyrule… It’s a nickname, but I-I love this land. I-I love calling it my own.”

“Your own? You’re not from here?”

“N-no. I’m not. B-but it’s my _home_. I’d do _anything_ to protect it.”

“Even protecting the Royal Family?”

“O-of course.”

Hyrule shuddered in relief as the knife’s pressure lessened. He then was thrown to the floor, bracing for impact before Legend reached out and grabbed him into his arms.

“You okay, ‘Rule?”

His neck burned. Hyrule could still feel the blood running down his skin. He pressed his fingers against the wound, letting his healing magic close it off before answering. “I’ll be fine,” he said.

A growl built up within the veteran. Legend glared at the attacker as he lifted the traveler back to his feet. “Can’t believe you hurt him. Why did you do it?”

A response spat back. “I find it hard to believe that a group of armed men aren’t working for that treacherous snake.”

Legend snapped. “We don’t—”

“We mean it.”

Time spoke. Their leader stepped forth, approaching with an unseen glare that dripped the house with a heavy, tensed fog. Legend and Hyrule shrank back, joining the others behind their leader’s vexation. The hooded figure remained stiff, but the knife wavered under the grasp.

“We are together to fight off a bigger threat to the kingdom of Hyrule,” Time continued. “We still don’t know much, but we know that all of the land is in danger if we do nothing.” Time tilted his head.“Unfortunately, we got injured. We’ve been meaning to search for a town to rest but we got no direction.”

“A town?” The hand with the knife lowered, relaxing to the side. “I suppose I can help you. I’ve been going to one myself. Just know I won’t hesitate to leave you the moment we step foot into it.”

“Noted.”

A huff. “Well, since you were the ones who _barged_ into my door, you better introduce yourselves _now.”_

Although the eyes were hidden under the hood, Hyrule felt the glare locked his way. He stiffened, leaning back towards his brothers for comfort when Time raised his hand.

“Before that, I believe you also owe an apology.”

“You expect me to apologize?”

Their conversation faded into buzzes of words as Hyrule leaned onto Legend, shutting his eyes as a wave of pain pressured within his head. An arm wrapped around his shoulders, supporting him upright. “Hyrule?” Legend asked, among others joining in a chorus. “Time, Hyrule’s ill.”

Hyrule murmured through a tensed expression.“Just tired. I’ll be fine.”

Although he hadn’t listened for any more words, Hyrule allowed Legend to guide him out of the crowd and dig deeper into the woods. They walked through the heavy layer of the forest floor before Legend brought himself and Hyrule into a pause. The trees sheltered the clearing—a possible spot to set up a new camp for rest.

“We have to make sure it isn’t poison,” Legend said once he lowered Hyrule to the ground, checking where the wound used to be. “She could’ve enchanted the knife with it.”

“She?”

“Yeah. I think. The voice sounded like a woman’s.” Legend inspected Hyrule’s neck, frowning. “It doesn’t look like you’ve gotten it,” he said. “Looks completely healed but…”

Hyrule pursed his lips.

Legend took out a small bottle, filled with a pale, almost clear liquid. “Still… I think you should drink this. Don’t want it to get worse if it’s poison.”

Hyrule took the bottle and watched the liquid waver inside it. He clenched his jaw—his neck no longer burned once he healed it, but then he recalled of the bloody curse leaking out of his body, how it often came with a headache along with the bleeding. “I think I know what it is,” he said.

Still… he took a sip of the antidote. He could be wrong.

As he gave the bottle back to Legend, Hyrule leaned to his shoulder and closed his eyes. A wave of darkness blanketed him into a restful mind, safe within his brother’s arms.

“Haven’t slept well lately?”

Only a hum escaped in response.

* * *

Hyrule didn’t remember falling asleep.

He jolted to the air, eyes snapped open as the shadows of lost time crawled on his back. A flash of red joined to his side, along with the forest green beside it. Legend and Twilight, both calling his name. _When?_ Hyrule blinked. Beyond the two by his side, the rest of his brothers all sat down surrounding the flame of a new camp.

_When did everyone get here?_

“Hyrule, you doing alright?” Twilight asked, jumping ahead of Legend who rolled his eyes in response but didn’t mask the frown on his face.

Hyrule could only ask, “How long?” His eyes were drawn to the skies. The yellow light sweeping the blue glimpsed him the amount of time that had passed from the high noon sky. “It’s been a few hours, isn’t it?”

“Well—”

“And no one woke me up?” With wide eyes he looked down, taking off the blanket that covered him only to see no stain on him. He breathed out into a smile. _Good._ At least he didn’t have to worry about it for now. Still… “‘Scuse me for a moment. I need to go.”

“‘Rule, you sure you okay?” Legend asked. “You’ve been going out an awful lot lately.”

“I know.” Hyrule rose to his feet, attracting attention from the camp including the hooded… figure? woman? sitting among their group. He waved. “Hi, I’m awake now.”

“It’d be lovely for Hyrule to join us,” Legend jabbed his finger at him, “but he needs to go do his business first.”

“Right. Sorry, I’ll be back.”

With a last good glance at everyone, Hyrule rushed out of camp and made sure he had his pouch of items on him. At the edge of the woods he looked around, ears strained as he waited a few heartbeats listening to sounds—of rustling or footsteps—for anyone following, but he heard nothing. With a sigh he began to check himself.

First his stomach. It no longer hurt. The cramps that had been plaguing him for the past few days were completely gone, he felt, but he wasn’t sure if it was a fluke from his rest and could come back with a vengeance. Same with his headache. Still, relief flooded over him as this was a sign that it was definitely shifting back to normal.

Then came the accursed bleeding. Hyrule lowered his pants and noticed that the gauze no longer stained a deep red, only little dark spots in a mainly pink stain. _It’s fading._ When Hyrule relieved himself, yellow streamed out, with a little brown of the last remnants of his cursed blood. Another relief found its way out of his breath.

The curse now lay dormant.

Hyrule followed up the same way as before: burying the used strip of gauze and the piss under the dirt, but he didn’t follow up in placing a new one within him when he pulled his pants back up, not when the bleeding was low. Even worse… the roll he had used was noticeably running out, with one last rolled strip remaining out of a roll that used to be almost full.

Someone was going to kill him for wasting it all. Definitely Legend.

Hyrule shut his eyes, gripping the earth beneath him. Why did he have this curse?! His arms wavered. He wasn’t going to cry. Not here. Not now. He lifted himself back to his feet and swept the dirt off his hands with his clothes. No one else needed to know.

If anything… the gauze roll was replaceable. He couldn’t do much else about the blood. With a sigh, Hyrule walked back to camp, hairs tickling at the back of his neck as a certain glance lay frozen on him. He sat down by Legend’s side, lips tugged at the edges. “I’m better now,” he said. “Thank you.”

A slight smile appeared on Legend in response. A pat reached Hyrule’s shoulder before Legend faced away, Hyrule following and they now both turned towards the newcomer of their group, still concealed within the shadows of their cloak.

“Did you infect Hyrule with poison?” Legend asked.

“No. I’m not that cruel.”

But still she shrank under the shadows, hiding from the reaches of everyone’s glares within the camp. “I’m telling you,” she continued, “I don’t know exactly what’s causing your friend’s ailment. But it’s definitely not from me.”

Legend frowned. “Then what’s causing it?” he whispered, his glance falling towards the lingering flame. “Hyrule, don’t think I haven’t noticed, but that illness of yours isn’t normal. Think that headache came from it?”

A nod. Hyrule remained silent, but deep in his heart he agreed. A curse. A curse that others didn't need to know...

Twilight glanced through the flame, arms crossed and lips pursed, but his eyes soft with a lingering worry. “I agree,” he said. “I have suspicions, but... it doesn’t make sense. Hyrule told me it’s something else, and if what he says it’s true it’s urgent that we go to town and find someone.”

“Urgent?!” Legend jumped to his feet. “And you never told us?!”

“Legend!” Hyrule followed, grasping Legend’s arm. “It’s not that bad!” he cried. “It hasn’t killed me yet. I’ll be fine.” His grasp dropped. “It’s gone now, I promise. It won’t be back for a while.”

“Is this normal?”

Hyrule clenched his jaw. He held his arm and glanced away, turning to the campfire. His blood boiled in his veins. “It is for me,” he replied. “I’ve had it for a long time.”

Still, everyone’s eyes kept a glance on him. As Hyrule faced all around the camp, a few shifted away, turning their thoughts toward the terrain. Time, Twilight, Warriors, and Legend all remained firm on their stance that Hyrule winced away, scratching the back of his head which suddenly flared from their glares.

“Guys, I’m fine. I promise.”

Warriors smacked his lips, snapping Hyrule back to him. “I believe you, ‘Rule. But please, if this illness comes back, you have to tell us immediately. This is no something to disregard.”

“I agree,” Legend added.

“What’s this illness you have?”

Hyrule whipped his head to the new voice, eyes widened. “I… I’d rather not talk about it,” he said. “Just know I’m fine.”

“You sure?” the hooded figure asked—and Hyrule realized he never learned the name. “I’m familiar with someone who could help with your ailment, but we’d have to know first if she can.”

Hyrule frowned. _It’s my business,_ he wanted to say, but he knew the troubles of the curse—and how getting rid of it could potentially save lives. Everyone’s lives.

_If monsters no longer smell my blood, would I be any safer?_

His eyes flickered among his brothers, and through them Hyrule imagined hundreds among hundreds of lives saved because of their courage. How far he was willing to save the people of his own homeland. But his sacrifice would mean nothing if monsters took a hold of his own blood.

If there was a way to get rid of Ganon’s curse…

Hyrule bowed his head. “Yes, I would like that,” he said, before facing back the owner of the voice. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet, there are other things I wanted to talk about.”A sigh. “I forgot to ask but… you’re the one called Hyrule, correct?”

Said Link tensed. “Why you ask?”

Another sigh escaped into the camp. Pulling off the hood, the figure exposed herself, with the long brown hair of a woman reddened by the flames. “You may call me Quarta.” Her eyes flickered under the embers as they met Hyrule’s. “I guess it’s my turn to apologize. I hadn’t been expecting travelers searching for town while I’m on the run.”

 _On the run._ Hyrule slowly relaxed, giving a sympathetic glance as the rush of familiarity raced his heartbeat. “Who’s chasing you?”

The flames flickered into a flare before she answered. “That doesn’t matter. I’ll be gone long before you’ll cross paths with him. He doesn’t pose harm to men like you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Wind cried out. Four latched onto his shoulder but Wind shrugged it off. “If he isn’t dangerous then why is he a threat to you?”

“His goal isn’t to kill,” was the reply. “All he wants is me. As long aspeople stay out of my way no one else will be in danger. Trust me, I can handle myself.”

“Still, we have to help take him down,” Warriors added. “We can’t stand the thought of innocent bystanders being in the crossfire. Not while we can do something about it.”

“Right? We’re heroes!”

Heroes. Hyrule smiled. Here he was among them, heart fluttered at the thought. He turned to Legend—the hero of _legends_ whispered about in his era. _I hope I can live up to you, Legend._

“Heroes, huh? Sure,” Quarta said, bringing Hyrule back to face her. “Call yourselves whatever you want. That isn’t going to stop the problem.”

“I’m sure we can help,” Warriors remarked. “It’s part of our job description.”

“How come I never heard about you?”

A chuckle followed beside the captain. Tilting his head, Time smirked. “I’m sure you have. At least one of us.”

Warriors snickered along. “And by one, you pretty much mean all of us.”

The camp erupted with everyone’s voices bursting in. Hyrule turned back to Legend, whose smirk turned mischievous. “Looks like I have a bet to make with the captain,” Legend whispered to Hyrule. “Let’s see who’s the most well-known hero in this era.”

“Who do you think?” Hyrule asked.

“Me, of course. Warriors doesn’t even have a _thing_ in terms of history. We still haven’t figured out when he belongs to yet—it’s as if he never existed.”

“But he’s here with us.”

“Exactly. He’s definitely real, just not remembered. Ouch.”

“Right…”

Hyrule’s glance followed Legend as he walked across the camp, stopping in front of Warriors with a hand on his waist. They exchanged a few words through the crowded noise, speaking of their plans in plain sight.

Hyrule stood back. He sat down on a log and let the voices of the others comfort him. He’d been itching to explore—the way his leg started bouncing at the thought whispering in his mind, to burn off the energy building up within him. But Wild started setting up the pot into the campfire—dinnertime would be soon. Dinnertime meant relaxing time.

Still, the veteran sat by the captain’s side. Their mirrored smirks meant the bet was on. The voices faded once again from Hyrule’s mind, this time with no headache to accompany it. Instead, Hyrule focused on relaxing, grateful for the pains of his curse gone in a few quick days’ time.

A few moments after, during dinner, the Links spoke of the next day’s plans with Quarta. The closest town was several days over, she had said. She explained the route—through the indirect paths of forests and cave systems to avoid any chance of running into _his_ presence.

“You sure that’s the safest way?” Warriors asked.

“He doesn’t think a person like _me_ would dare enter a monster’s lair. I hope you all enjoy exploring.”

Hyrule grinned. It would definitely be a better day.


	2. High Noon

As soon as the sun’s rays began to brighten the looming dark sky everyone began to pack up camp, removing any and all trace of their stay. Hyrule snapped his bedroll shut tight, with a sigh of relief escaping his lips as no blood stains marked it overnight—and for the first time since the curse’s appearance Hyrule got his full night’s sleep.

It was… different. Relying on others to get your back even as your eyes turned blind to the dangers? Seemed surreal. It took Hyrule getting some used to. And even then some nights the shadows of monsters would sneak into his vision, snapping him awake only to meet silence in a slumberous camp. Interrupted nights often made him tired, but nothing new to him.

Last night wasn’t one of those nights. Hyrule put his tunic back on and he felt he had all the energy in the world. His eyes darted to the wild champion. And as soon their eyes locked a wild grin took shape on the traveler’s face.

“It’s time to set out,” stated the old man.

After putting his bedroll away Hyrule nodded, still grinning when he excitedly strapped his sword and shield on his back before rushing towards Wild. Until Time’s soft call slowed Hyrule to a halt.

“Traveler.” The voice brought Hyrule to face his leader. “How are you feeling?”

“Great,” Hyrule replied. “More than great, actually!”

The captain joined beside Time, glancing at Hyrule. “Just take it easy,” he added. “Wouldn’t want you to get sick again.”

“Warriors, _I’m fine,”_ Hyrule remarked. “I’m much better now, thank you.”

Hyrule left to join Wild’s side. The champion greeted him with a grin—the mischievous grin that asked for adventure. Hyrule’s own face mirrored Wild’s and his thoughts drifted to the unknown caves and forests—of treasures waiting to be discovered by their own hands.

Yet Hyrule could feel eyes on his back. He glanced back to meet Twilight’s in a split heartbeat before said hero turned away. After a sigh, Hyrule whispered to Wild, lifting a hand close to his own face. “I know they care about me,” he said. “But can they chill out a little? I’m not a fragile child.”

“And that’s why I like to ignore Twilight sometimes,” Wild added. “Sometimes he ruins the fun.”

Hyrule snickered. “Well, he’s just like the old man. Fun is too strenuous for them.”

And the wild champion chuckled back.

With everyone ready, Quarta led the group of Links and marched deeper into the woods, away from the main roads that once guided the heroes toward a semblance of normalcy. The shade of the trees pushed away the little morning light, turning the sky back to night.

“I know deep into the woods there’s a cavern entrance,” Quarta explained. “I don’t know the way. Usually I wouldn’t mind, but since I got you guys around…”

Soon, the cavern passage swallowed all of the woods into its rocky mouth and left nothing but darkness for the group to traverse through. But Wild combated the darkness by bringing out his fire rod, illuminating inside with its eternal orange light. Hyrule stepped forth into the tongue of the cavern floor, towards the dungeon of secrets awaiting to be discovered.

“I hope you guys don’t mind if we get lost. I know there’s split paths.”

“Don’t mind at all. That’d mean time for exploring!” Wild cried out. Glares followed his way—particularly those of the old man and the rancher. “I mean—we’ll find something useful for us, right? Time wouldn’t be wasted if treasure gets in our sight.”

Hyrule agreed. Wind jumped in and Legend sealed the argument in their favor: that as long as nobody knew the right path exploration was a given. He said them through dripped irritation in his voice, but his eyes glimmered like rupees from Wild’s light. Legend slowed down, dragging himself behind until he joined the traveler’s side.

“Don’t think you’re gonna leave soon without me,” he said, his playful glare falling on the champion. “Someone needs to keep watch.”

Wild grinned. “What, you scared of losing us?”

Legend hmph’ed. “Don’t come crying to us if you end up losing your stuff.”

He meant in jest, but a weighed silence loomed within the cavern and burdened on Hyrule’s shoulders. The walls seemed to close in, binding Hyrule closer to Legend and grazed his arm before he jolted away. “Sorry,” Hyrule whispered. But Legend stopped him, sparing him from bumping into Twilight as everyone suddenly stopped.

“Looks like we’ve arrived,” Quarta’s voice echoed. “Our first problem.”

“We’d have to split up,” Warriors followed. “There’s five paths, which means we’d have to check in pairs for the fastest way out. Meet back here once you find anything.”

“I’m going with you,” said Time. With who? Warriors? Quarta? Hyrule didn’t know. But pair by pair the group began to split up, each taking a different path. Twilight pulled the champion with him, leaving Hyrule by Legend’s side.

“Let’s go.”

Hyrule followed Legend as they took the right-most path, taking out their lanterns and hung them on their belts. The two heroes marched on with stride, with the traveler’s glance wandering around the walls and ceiling of the cavern, absorbing the structures and crudeness that formed the place. A smile crept into his lips as his mind drifted to the wonders waiting at the end of the path. Would there be treasure? Would they find an exit? Or would they find—

“There’s something I wanted to ask you,” Legend spoke and the traveler’s glance fell on him. “I can’t believe you said you’re not from Hyrule yesterday. I mean, I know you’re not from this one but… Kinda funny from someone named after this land.”

“Why?” Hyrule asked, pausing in his tracks. “I’m not.”

Legend paused too, turning to face him. He raised an eyebrow. “No? Not even from your time?”

“No, but it doesn’t matter,” Hyrule replied. “What matters is that it’s my home now.”

“Why did you go to Hyrule then?” Legend asked. “We saw your world.”

“I don’t want to say why I left.” The traveler sighed. “But the land of Hyrule… my heart called for it. And I stayed ever since.”

Legend pursed his lips. His eyes glided back toward the deeper cavern, his hand gripped on his waist. “So you’ve always considered the land of Hyrule your homeland despite being an outsider huh…”

“Right.”

The glance still locked on the path ahead of them, longing for answers unveiled beyond the darkness. With a beckoning hand, Legend continued on with Hyrule joining beside him. The veteran’s words echoed in Hyrule’s mind as they had within the cavern, only to be cut off by his own retort.

 _I’m the Hero of Hyrule,_ said hero reassured himself, _no matter where I’m from_.

An adventurer too. The smile grew back as Hyrule took the lead and took Legend through the darkness, his steps picking up pace into a jog. “Let’s go!” His ears strained from the pieces of debris scrapping against the floor as the heroes kicked them away and eyes peeled open into the road ahead, flickering around just like the flames they carried lightening the walls.

Legend’s pleads of slowing down rang hollow beneath the chuckles rumbling in his throat. “Hyrule!” he cried out through the giggles. “Why the rush?”

“When’s the last time we explored like this?” Hyrule cried back. “Come on!”

Legend was no Wild, but the rush still pumped in Hyrule’s heart as he ran deeper into the cavern. The excitement swept through his skin in the gusts of air. _There has to be something!_

Then all air breathed out of Hyrule’s mouth as he slowed down to a crawl, releasing Legend’s hand. He took a step forth, mouth gaped open as his bewildered glance fell on the rocky wall in front of him.

“A dead-end?” _Is this it?_

“Sorry.” Legend patted Hyrule on his shoulder. “Perhaps next time.”

“Hold on.”

A hand reached out for the wall but another stopped it. “Careful,” Legend said. “Could be a trap.”

“But we’d have to try.”

It took a moment before Legend released the hand, but his eyes hadn’t left their pressure from Hyrule. The traveler hero rasped a palm through the wall and searched for gaps of loosened stone—possible triggers for a treasure chest or a new entrance beyond. His boots shifted along on the floor, also searching for switches underneath. After a long moment began the taps echoing through, causing Hyrule to strain his ears behind him.

Hyrule stopped and turned to face the sound. The veteran’s back greeted him, his arms crossed and his foot continuously tapping. Legend focused on the long path returning to the entrance, remaining silent even after long moments of the non-stop tapping. His ear then flickered and, as if noticing the lack of noise behind him, Legend tilted his head back. “‘Rule?”

Hyrule blinked. “You okay?”

“I think we should go back, there’s nothing here.”

As Hyrule released his hand from the wall, he nodded. He took a step towards Legend, only for the floor beneath shift from the weight.

And it snapped open.

“Hyrule!”

Legend’s hand reached out too late. A scream ran out of the traveler’s lungs as he fell, eyes frozen to the shut trap above him, trapping him in the darkness. Hyrule swirled around, crossed his arms and braced himself for the impact.

He then crashed. The pain coursed through his body. Hyrule gasped for air, taking a few shivering breaths as he lifted himself from the ground. His entire core trembling.

“It was a trap,” Hyrule whispered through the shivers. He shut his eyes. “Dang it!”

His voice echoed through the cavern, but Hyrule gritted teeth and forced his eyes open, trying to control the instinct rushing in his racing heart. He glared through the darkness, bracing with sword now in hand as he waited. He waited.

“Legend? You there?!” _What else did I expect?!_

But only silence welcomed him. For more heartbeats he waited. Hyrule then began to walk ahead, grip tightened. His lantern still granted him the only constant source of light within the void, which chilled the hero’s core but it didn’t extinguish the burning flame within.

_I know I’ll get out of this._

Hyrule looked up to the ceiling. He thought of using a spell to bring himself back up, but then he frowned at the thought of spending his magic. He needed to conserve it. He dreaded for the day he needed to use Life but couldn’t afford the energy to save someone.

He shook his head. That was not the thought he needed right now.

Hyrule marched on, taking his lantern in hand and hung it in front of him. He walked firm in his tracks even as his mind wandered elsewhere, echoing Legend’s yells and his worries far beyond the narrow tunnel. The voices of the others joined in faint whispers, only to be shut by Hyrule’s own thoughts shifting to one thing: piles of stone cast aside by a wall. Engraved letters ran through the wall behind them, faded by time.

Hanging the lantern back to his belt and sweeping away as much of the dust he could, Hyrule began to mouth the letters before covering himself from a fit of coughing until it subsided. After uncovering more of the letters he scanned through the script, his eyes widened as the familiarity struck him from a long forgotten age.

“This is… Calatian script? But that’d mean…”

He read them. He read them again, trying to register—to _resonate_ —with the words right in front of him: _“For my Starlight—who never saw the daylight but still became my guide in this dark night. I will be your Sun, your eternal hope against the shadows in the evernoon.”_

The words dragged on in the silence. Hyrule hung his head low, eyes closed to the world. Still as the stones, he stood in eternal blackness. Not even the lantern’s light reached out to his vision. Only his beating heart and his shallow breaths served as reminders to his presence among the living. Soft whispers breezed out of the traveler hero’s lips, inaudible to even his own ears. Whispers only meant for the souls passed on.

He didn’t know how much time had passed, but soon Hyrule opened back his eyes. His vision fell on a pendant glimmering by the flames: a brilliant red gem chained in gold untarnished by time. No magic resided within, but its significance still shined through. Hyrule lifted it off the stone and gripped it tightly in his hand, his glance rising up to the word _‘sun.’_

Without a word, he hung the chain around his neck and continued on his path.

_There has to be a way out…_

But despite continuously marching on, Hyrule found no trace that he was any closer to a way out of this mess. For any diverging paths he forced himself to pick and run through, marking the choice with his sword scarring the wall. Sometimes he’d run into a dead-end with a treasure chest, each giving various colors and amounts of rupees with blue being the most common, but then he once encountered gold—worth much more than he could ever imagine.

This wasn’t the kind of lost he wanted. As much as the rupees would definitely help later on, loneliness settled in the traveler’s heart as he stood in the cold chill, with no warmth of the campfire nor the laughter of his brothers to cease it.

“You’re all looking for me, right?” Hyrule wondered aloud. “It hasn’t been the same without you all. I miss you.”

He turned around, away from the treasure chest and sought for his brothers once again. Perhaps they already found their way out of the caverns, meeting the bright blue sky in relief while the traveler got stuck in the underground.

“I wish Wolfie was here,” Hyrule whispered. “Just this once. Never thought I want to be found by the wolf.”

He recalled of the day he and Wild first set out to explore a new cave. The way the traveler’s heart burned with curiosity and brought the wild champion with him reminded him of his childhood days when he loved exploring— _exploring_ alone. When asked about a map he remarked back, _“Ah, who needs a map anyways?! Curiosity sure doesn’t!”_

Of course they had gotten lost. Relief had settled in when the champion’s wolf friend found them, only to be replaced by a lingering fear of meeting everyone else’s reactions. Of the anger. He was no longer alone in this journey, Hyrule had to remind himself. And he still found the thought hard to swallow.

“I guess I’m alone. Again.”

_“You’re not alone. Follow me, my Starlight.”_

A breeze reached his ear. Hyrule jumped back, sword braced in front of him as his vision flickered around him, but saw no sign of the speaker. “W-who are you?”

 _“Starlight, I mean no harm,”_ the voice whispered, speaking in the Calatian tongue. _“I just want to guide you.”_

Hyrule took another step back. “To where?” he asked, his voice rough for not speaking the tongue in years. “Why you doing this?”

His grip on the sword didn’t lessen even as the ghost of a woman materialized before him, whose radiant red hair brightened the cave as if it was a flame all of its own. Bright as the—

 _“Sun,”_ Hyrule finished in Calatian. _“Are you… the sun?”_

She approached him, reaching out for his face. Hyrule stiffened at the touch, but otherwise allowed her caress his cheek. Her touch as cold and empty as the still winter air brushing his skin.

_“Your face… you have her face. You don’t have her eyes, but your resemblance is strong.”_

_“Her face? Whose? Must be mistaken, ma’am.”_

_“Has she never told you?”_ the woman asked, her eyes heavy. _“Did you recognize the name on the amulet?”_

 _“Name? W-wait.”_ Hyrule pulled off the necklace. He turned to the back of the gem, where a certain name was engraved on the golden slate. A certain familiar name:

_Medilia._

Hyrule clenched his hand into a fist, shaking from the thought of suddenly dropping it and breaking it. _“How… how you know her? Who are you?!”_

She shh’ed him, trying to caress his face once again despite her incorporeal form. _“Let me guide you… and I will tell you more.”_

Hyrule began to follow. The woman sang a wailing voice as she recounted the last days of her life and her eventual demise. She sang of a Hyrulean war brought by the Demon King’s return, only no Hero of Legend appeared to stop him. Her family searched for the mountain passages of Calatia to escape and found this cavern system.

But the woman fell ill in the cavern and urged her family to keep going. _“Only my sister escaped to the new golden land,”_ she continued. “ _And I see her in you.”_

_“What you on about? I don’t know you.”_

_“I am Medilia.”_

Hyrule froze. _“You… you can’t be… no…”_ A long glance fell on the woman’s face, darting along the ears, eyes, and mouth for any subtle flicker, anything that outed her intent. But nothing screamed insincerity out of a face with eyes as shining with drops of dew and lips drawn with a forlorn smile.

 _“I’m not her,”_ Medilia added, and Hyrule’s heart skipped at the words. _“But you should ask, once you see her again…. Give the heirloom to her.”_

 _“I…” I can’t,_ Hyrule wanted to say, but he stopped as those eyes reminded him of _her._ How his heart flared to see her once again… _“I keep it safe. I promise.”_

Medilia’s presence became a welcomed warmth, as if the afternoon sunlight streaked within the cavern and the walls no longer held the cold shadows. She beckoned Hyrule to follow once again. A new resolve pumped in his steps as he did.

But first came his brothers. He wasn’t going to leave without them.

Yet the cavern was too quiet. Only the traveler’s footsteps echoed, along with the harsh beating of his heart thumping his ears. Medilia floated silently on her way, words forgotten between them.

_Where could they be?_

No signs of monsters either. No Zols. No Keese. No Pols Voices. Then a deep monstrous roar snapped Hyrule into a tensed stance. He darted in front of Medilia and took out his shield, bracing it in front of them.

_“Demons ahead? But how?”_

A growl built in the traveler’s throat. _“I hope it’s not who I think it is.”_

 _“We should find another way,”_ Medilia said, _“follow me—”_

_“But I have to fight! The others may be in danger!”_

Hyrule rushed towards the roar, ignoring Medilia’s cries that struck through his heart but he had to keep running. He entered a large chamber and gritted his teeth, bracing himself as the floor trembled and the door slammed shut behind him. His eyes landed on the familiar slit yellows facing him. And another roar reverberated through the walls.

A smirk. “Hello, old friend.”

The dragon Aquamentus charged at the hero. Hyrule rolled out of the way, avoiding the piercing horn that slammed into the walls and shook the debris into the floor.

 _That’s new._ Hyrule gulped, taking a step back. He jumped as Aquamentus swirled and slashed at the air, missing the hero. Through the jumps and dodges from the slicing claws, Hyrule aimed a few sword beams at the dragon’s head—aiming straight for its horn.

It hit! Aquamentus roared in pain and spat its flames at the air. It lightened above their arena, revealing several rows of halls circling around the walls.

“The dragon is acting up!” someone familiar yelled in Hylian—from above?! “Think someone’s attacking it?”

“Hyrule?!”

Said hero yelped, rolling out of the dragon’s flames. As Hyrule readied his shield high with Reflect, his eyes flickered to the levels above and searched for his brothers. They landed on the rancher, whose hands held onto the rails before turning elsewhere.

“Guys! Found the traveler!”

“Traveler? Is our missing companion here?”

“Would be nice to have some help over here!” Hyrule yelled back in hismore familiar tongue. As soon as the flames ceased he struck out another sword beam before running around towards the dragon’s side and sought for its blind spot, listening to its pained roar once again. “Guys! Aim for the horn!”

But as he spoke those precious words the dragon swept its tail, slamming straight onto the traveler’s torso and knocking him down. Hyrule wheezed, taking a sharp breath as Aquamentus’s claws slammed down to the ground around him, narrowly missing Hyrule’s face by a hand’s length.

“Hyrule!”

Holding his breath, Hyrule remained as still as stone as Aquamentus loomed overhead, obscured by the cage of a paw over the hero. His heartbeat coursed through the earth below, possibly strong enough that Hyrule was afraid the dragon could still feel his living presence.

But despite the lingering vibrations the dragon remained still. Then orange light burst from above, stifling the traveler as its heat radiated into the enclosed air. His heartbeat agitated and his eyes darted through the gaps as Hyrule searched a way out, mouth still shut. He just needed Aquamentus to lift his claws—

A roar!

 _Go!_ Hyrule rolled out as soon as the claws sprang up and jumped to his feet, staggering into a sprint away from Aquamentus. His shield arm hung on his back as he ran—and the earth trembled. Darting a glance over his shoulder, the Hyrulean hero gasped as Aquamentus began to scale the walls, fluttering its wings as it climbed towards the other heroes, clawing at the rails.

Then Hyrule swirled around, switching his weapons with a bow and arrow, the arrow’s tip bright with magic. But he held on. Twilight swung and unleashed his spiked ball, striking down Aquamentus from its grasp and with one last dying roar it fell down, crashing to the floor.

Hyrule still held onto the arrow as the dragon exploded, leaving nothing behind. He lowered his bow and put his arrow away before approaching the empty space where the dragon was.

Nothing. It left nothing.

Hyrule took a deep breath before glancing back up at his brothers, free from the dreads that had plagued him. A smile curved up his lips, _they’re safe,_ he thought.

“Hyrule!” Twilight yelled. “Are you alright?! Can you come up or should we come down?”

“Hold on,” Hyrule told back, glancing around chamber in search for the red-haired woman within the dull walls. _“You there?”_ He turned back to the entrance, only to frown at the sealed door still shut. Medilia must’ve have remained in the other side and left him alone to face the monster….

The traveler’s ear twitched to the side, listening to the new voices joining Twilight. “Did we miss the fight?” Wind called out. Hyrule relaxed as the familiar voices of his brothers chorused while he stared at the door that reunited him with them once again—and split him from the woman whose name he held dear.

“Hey, Hyrule,” called Warriors. “Are you coming? There’s nothing here.”

“There’s no way he can come up here,” Quarta’s voice echoed.

“Trust us, he’s more than capable. Right, Hyrule?”

Such lips pursed from the eerie silence veiling within the chamber, joining the cold chill that pressed against Hyrule’s warm skin. A huff of defeat escaped before Hyrule turned to the floor above. With a few words uttered under his quivering mouth, Hyrule allowed his magic to transform him, shrinking him down into a small body as light as the air with wings as bright as the flames.

And with his newfound wings he flew.

A loud gasp reached his ears. As soon as Hyrule reached to his brothers their cries greeted him, faces glowing with glimmers of joy and bright from Hyrule’s own light. Twilight and Warriors stepped aside as Legend shoved his way through to face Hyrule. With a mouth agape, Legend cupped his hands around the fairy-formed traveler, shielding him from the dungeon’s chills and the wide eyes of burning curiosity lingering on him.

In a snap, Legend recovered. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he said. A smirk betrayed the snark in his words. “But I bet you had your fun.”

Hyrule smiled back. But being beneath the glow he wasn’t sure if Legend could see it. “I missed you. I missed you all.” Hyrule flew over to his brothers and embraced them with a kiss on their cheeks and foreheads, earning a few giggles a genuine smiles, only pausing as his eyes landed on Quarta, her eyes rapidly blinking. He nodded to her, muttering a sorry before continuing.

He fluttered to Legend’s side, giving him one last kiss in the cheek. Hyrule giggled as Legend huffed from his affection, knowing fully well that in Legend’s heart he loved it more than he’d admit. Still, the veteran’s shoulders relaxed and Hyrule took that as an opportunity to sit on by Legend’s shoulder, leaning on his neck as he rested.

People were hard to understand, Hyrule knew that. But he learned that bodies betrayed true thoughts.

Speaking of such trust… As Legend whisked around at the captain’s call, voice regaining his playful snark as he spoke back. Hyrule faced the foreigner of their group, who finally swallowed before regaining her voice.

“Y-you…?” Quarta trailed off. “I haven’t seen anyone else with such strong magic in a while. Are you a noble?”

Hyrule shook his head. “I’m nothing special.”

“He’s just a traveler,” Warriors answered. “But he’s the best spellcaster we got.” Smiling, he continued, “None of us can do magic like he does. We’re proud to have him.”

“Warriors…” Hyrule trailed off at the captain’s smile, wide and proud.

“Well, in that case,” Quarta turned back to the traveler, “Do you have some form of protection spell? If we run into him that may be useful.”

Hyrule frowned. “I do.”

“Good. If only we can find our way out of here.”

“And we’re staying together,” Time spoke up. His eye darted between everyone before leading away through the hall. Within the hushed whispers Wild commented of the place being a colosseum—a place where people and beasts fought among each others for the enjoyment of others.

Although he hadn’t felt it during the battle, the thought of hundreds of ghostly eyes like Medilia’s watching Hyrule in their own twisted pleasure made his stomach churn. The group traversed through the abandoned and down seats made of stone—seats obviously meant for people to watch the gruesome events.

“Are you going to stay like this?” Legend asked Hyrule after a time. “You’ve been quiet. Afraid to be lost again after what happened?”

“Don’t worry, Legend. I’m fine,” the traveler said. “Besides, Someone was with me. But I think she’s gone. I think—”

 _“Starlight, I’m sorry._ ”

Hyrule’s head jerked. Everyone drew their weapons at the voice, but Hyrule flew up into the air and twisted around to face them, arms spread out. “Don’t!” he cried out. “She’s a friend!”

“Hyrule?”

“She helped me,” he continued. “Without her I wouldn’t be with you right now.”

As everyone lowered their weapons Hyrule turned around. Eyes as shiny as dew on a cold morning glanced through him. Medilia spoke, her Calatian tongue only a breeze. _“They must be the ones you were looking for.”_

 _“My brothers,”_ Hyrule spoke back. _“And there’s Quarta—someone we protect.”_

 _“Brothers,”_ she repeated, a smile curved on her lips. _“My father once said that family is tied only through the blood coursing through our veins.”_ Then she laughed! _“Traveler may you be, bonds never escape you. It’s dangerous to go alone. Follow me, I’ll guide you out.”_

“Hyrule?”

To follow her, Hyrule had said in his more familiar Hylian to the group. Medilia started to float away, eyes glancing back to him. Hyrule followed, wings fluttered as he kept an eye to the others. But among them one person stood still, stubborn as a sleeping Armos.

“Where are you taking us?” asked Quarta. Her thoughts echoed among the other heroes. They all paused, glances burning with doubt and questions over the guidance.

Only Hyrule trusted her, it seemed.

 _“Calatia,”_ Medilia replied. And with a snap of her tongue she whispered back to the fairy boy, _“Unless you got a specific kingdom in mind. I can guide you back to the kingdom of Hylia but the pathways are infected with monsters. Acardia is safer, but lies a day or two’s travel south. Calatia is quickest and safest.”_

As Hyrule echoed Medilia’s words, Quarta replied, “Lead me to Acardia then. I have business there.”

_“Arcadia? Guess I can lead you there then…”_

“Wait.”

The captain turned to Quarta. “Arcadia? We have business in Hyrule. We can’t leave it behind for too long.”

“I’m sorry your kingdom has to deal with monsters,” Quarta retorted. “But I’m not going back there now. I have my own matters to attend. Either you come with me or we go on our separate paths right here.”

Warriors narrowed his eyes. He faced the other heroes and Hyrule was sure everyone shared the same question lingering on their minds. An internal debate echoed among them.

“We can’t just leave a lady alone here,” said Legend. “We can go to the nearest town then force our way back.”

“Our lady friend can guide us back, right?” At Hyrule’s affirmation, Warriors continued, “Tell her we’re going.”

With no spoken word, Medilia floated past the group and beyond the hallowed passageways of the forlorn colosseum. Despite the whispers of distrust traded among living ears, Quarta and the heroes of courage followed their ghastly guide once again—this time for real. Hyrule flew close by Legend’s side, taking in his brother’s comfort and lack of judgment in his otherwise wary eyes.

“Never seen you so trusting,” Legend commented.

“She reminds me of someone I used to know,” Hyrule whispered. From her bright red hair, her sharp yet caring eyes, her gentle smile followed with soothing voice. Yet Hyrule buried himself away from the image rooting over his vision. Her image taking over his mind.

* * *

Several hours have passed in silence. Maybe it’s been only minutes. Or perhaps days, since caves never judged night from day within their rocky walls. In darkness, time held no meaning.

Still, other signs showed time had passed. As soon as they entered a large chamber, Hyrule returned to being a Hylian among his brethren. The others took that as a sign for rest, as Hyrule no longer provided his own light among the dying torches and fire rods.

Wild set up camp with his bundle of wood and flint to spark the flame to life. The campfire’s light filled the chamber with the tender warmth of orange light and hearty laughs echoed amidst the long shadows. Tales spoke from the walls, silhouettes of legends reflected by Hyrule’s hands.

And eyes sparkled as Medilia lay by Hyrule’s side, watching Hyrule twist his fingers in accordance to the story he told: a fox who helped out a deer survive through a wasteland only if she solved his riddles. _“Your form is sharp,”_ Medilia commented after his story ended. _“How did you learn to make those? I trust my niece would have loved them.”_

 _“Was bored,”_ Hyrule answered. _“Lived in caves. Sometimes couldn’t sleep. Had to find way to pass time.”_

“Mind telling us what you’re talking about?”

Hyrule jolted. His eyes snapped to the few watchful eyes still laying their attention on him, now realizing that the others didn’t speak the language shared between him and Medilia. Not even their multilingual veteran of the group seemed to recognize it, as Legend observed with firm, curious eyes between them.

A cough from the captain shattered the silence. “Sorry, didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” Warriors added. “Never heard that language before, what is it?”

“It’s from Calatia.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me,” Legend spoke to Warriors. “He’s a traveler, after all. Knew he’d pick a language or two from his travels.”

“Speaking from experience?”

Hyrule chuckled. _“You see him over there?”_ He pointed at Legend to Medilia. _“He’s our—”_

His mouth hung in the open, drawing a blank as he staggered um… um… until he realized he never learned the word ‘veteran’ in Calatian! Not great… His tongue tried to make sound, scrambling for a word that’d yearn the same meaning… he hoped.

 _“—Experience.”_ Hyrule winced. _“He’s our experienced traveler. I’m traveler too, but not great as him.”_

_“Have you visited Arcadia before?”_

Arcadia… He’d heard about that kingdom, but never visited it before. The prince there had actually asked Princess Zelda Dawn Hyrule XVII for marriage. Hyrule witnessed it, as he worked with the princess to restore the kingdom and this marriage would have strengthen relations between the kingdoms of Hyrule and Arcadia.

But Dawn refused.

The traveler hero shrugged. _“First time. How it’s like?”_

 _“I haven’t seen it myself,”_ Medilia answered. _“But you’ll see. Just rest, my Starlight.”_ Her hand brushed down his cheek. Hyrule tensed from the sudden chill, but then it gave way to familiar warmth before Medilia pulled it away. _“Go sleep.”_

As the camp winded down to rest, Hyrule shut his eyes to sleep as everyone whispered their goodnights. Monsters should’ve flickered within the shadows of the cavern, yet under his eyelids only a woman appeared. A woman whose hair burned like the campfire and whose eyes shone brighter than the sun, yet her face wavered under the harsh blindness of a fading memory.

But Hyrule knew her. This was the Medilia he knew. His fingers clasped around the metallic pendant of the necklace, grasped firm in resolve of his promise. _His promise._

His eyes burned. But he ignored it in favor of sleep cutting away the time for arrival in Arcadia. Hyrule whispered his own goodnights before slumber overwhelmed him.

* * *

_“It’s almost time.”_

After even more several breaks and hours of the underworld trek, the rush of relief filled up the group as soon as sunlight edged in from the other side of the tunnel. Everyone picked up their pace, dashing out of darkness to breathe in the sun hanging directly over their heads. Cries of relief filled the open air and Hyrule joined in. Living another day within the world brimming with nature. The grass under the soles of his boots a comfort.

Yet the air around him felt cold. Hyrule turned around, gasping as Medilia hovered by the entrance, shying herself away within the shadows of the mountain. His heart sunk. Hyrule reached to her, leaving a short glance to the others as he walked away.

Legend noticed, only nodding.

Hyrule turned back to Medilia, stopping short of stepping into the cavern ground. He took a final long glance at her face. His eyes began to sting, blurring off Medilia like an aging picture even as he tried to imprint her into memory. Eyes unblinking. Crying.

_Why am I crying?_

_“You okay, Rinku?”_

The dew of his eyes ran out into rivers. _“H-how?”_ he whispered. _“How..?”_ Hyrule caught his breath, trying to rebalance the pace of his chest before continuing. _“Do you know…”_ His words ghosted from his burdened heart. A sting in his throat choked his tongue shut, stiff and silent as the mountains splitting the countries apart.

_“She misses you.”_

Hyrule shook his head. He turned around, eyes turned blind from the world and the tears surging out of his heart. His finger slid through the engraved name in the necklace, feeling the letters through the gaps.

_M e d i l i a_

_“She still weeps for you.”_

The world turned to stone. The breeze sweeping his hair an illusion just as were her words. The traveler still as the mountains, he let the waters flow down his face. Even as he opened back his eyes, even as he noted the faces of the others aimed towards him, towards his burning cheeks and stuffing breaths, Hyrule remained unmoving with the world.

Then he shook his head again.

Turning to the ghost once again, with his eyes hanging low to the ground, Hyrule whispered to the wind, _“Will I… see you again?”_

 _“I will be waiting in the mountains,”_ Medilia answered. _“Take care, my Starlight. We love you.”_

_“W-wait!”_

But Hyrule reached out too late. His fingers touched only the vacant air where Medilia used to be. Empty, invisible air. Ears strained at footsteps rushing his way, the traveler lowered his arm, tensing at the worrying eyes behind him.

“We should go,” Hyrule said, hiding the necklace under his tunic. “Make most of our day while we’re still going strong, right.”

* * *

The sun scorched the the cloudless sky and burned away all signs of shadowed monsters. At least that’s what Hyrule believed as the group hiked down the mountainous path with no sign of those dangerous creatures. Smiles as bright as the rays of the sun returned to the heroes and Hyrule followed as he whispered to others about the grand sum of rupees he earned from his _aimless wandering._

Wild grinned. “See?” he remarked to Twilight and Legend. “Worth it.”

They both pouted, yet the group exploded into laughter as jokes and cheers of the traveler’s success filled the air. Even Time’s slight smirk leaked from his lips as he marched on.

“Y’ know?” Wind chirped in, “ifour traveler is as good as as he did gathering those rupees back there, then he could be our dedicated treasure hunter!”

“Just get him a stone mask,” Time added, tilting his head as if… was he supposed to be winking there? Or blinking? “His traveling knows no bounds. Best to prepare if he doesn’t want to be caught.”

“Wait, old man,” Warriors spoke up, “you saying you want him to get _lost?!”_

“As long as he comes back safely to us, I see no issue with that.”

Hyrule scratched his head, feeling his face redden as Warriors argued with Time even as the old man remained unmoved by the bitter words. It was as if… Time trusted him. Their leader trusted him. Trusted him as a traveler, a survivor, a hero….

A pat on his shoulder snapped Hyrule to face Legend. The veteran smiled at him and Hyrule felt his warm face even warmer and darted his head away. How embarrassing it was for Legend to see him like this!

“Hyrule, look!”

In the corner of his vision Hyrule noticed Legend’s extended arm. A gasp escaped out of his mouth as eyes landed on a grand village awaiting them beyond the foot of the mountain. Hyrule took a few steps forth, towards the edge of the cliff, and took a closer look at the distant and brilliant buildings the size of trees. Joining as the group watched on from the mountains, standing on top of this new world.

“That’s our destination,” said Quarta.

It didn’t matter if it would take another few days. It didn’t matter if he and Wild got lost in their travels before they arrived. Hyrule right now was in the top of his own world, admiring the vast fields and forests that would soon become his next playground. The start of a new grand adventure, he hoped. One with his brothers.

“Now, don’t get too distracted. We going back as soon as we escort her to safety.”

He still had time afterward. Of course, that wasn’t going to stop him.


End file.
